Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS
Legendary British automaker Aston Martin knows how to make a supercar even more super – the V12 Vantage RS.
Pitched against the 380bhp of the V8, a V12 Vantage RS should leave it well and truly in the dust, thanks to a jaw-dropping 600bhp output. Although initially dubbed as a concept, the car is nonetheless based on Aston Martin’s revered production V8 Vantage coupe. The company’s design and engineering team have fully exploited the design flexibility of the VH architecture and the motor sport development of their 6.0 litre V12 engine to create a dramatic and production-feasible concept car focused on extreme performance and dynamics.
Although the staggering power output of the V12 Vantage RS concept will be the focus of attention, just as significant is the level of weight reduction achieved by Aston Martin’s engineering team. With a kerb weight of less than 1600kg, the RS concept underlines Aston Martin’s continued commitment to use of lightweight materials, and weight reduction as a means of achieving improved efficiency and performance. In common with the recently launched DBS, the bonnet and boot lid are moulded in carbon fibre and the concept also adopts motor sport-inspired carbon ceramic brake discs.
The subtly aggressive exterior appearance is driven by function. The dramatic bonnet louvres extract air from the fully ducted cooling pack and the boot lid features a deployable spoiler that rises automatically at high speeds to increase rear down force. The front bumper features cooling ducts for the carbon ceramic brakes and a carbon fibre splitter to balance down force.
The 600bhp 6.0 litre engine featured in the V12 Vantage RS concept has benefited directly from the race development of the power unit. It features a dry sump lubrication system, tuned length exhaust manifolds, forged pistons and steel con-rods, revised lift and duration camshafts and modified cylinder heads. Peak power is achieved at 6250rpm and peak torque of 690Nm is at 5000rpm.
With a power-to-weight ratio of over 375bhp per ton, the V12 Vantage RS concept is the fastest accelerating road car ever built by the company, capable of reaching 62mph (100km/h) from rest in 4.0 seconds and 100mph (160km/h) in just 8.5 seconds.
The unveiling of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS concept at the end of 2007 concluded a remarkable year of new product announcements for the British manufacturer. In the previous 12 months the company had launched two of the most eagerly anticipated sports cars of the year – the DBS and Vantage Roadster – and announced details of the DB9 LM and V8 Vantage N400 special editions which celebrated the company’s racing successes at Le Mans and the Nurburgring. Those models joined the V8 Vantage, DB9 and DB9 Volante models in production at the company’s Gaydon headquarters.
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